Car coupler



May 17, I927.

w. MccoNwAY. JR

CAR COUPLER Filed Aug. 7. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17. 1927.

w. M coNwAY. JR

' cm COUPLER Filed Aug. 7. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V moving to unlocked position.

Patented May 17, 1927.

( al-Eel? E Q NIWAY,

TlPN 0 mea ureme- I -i mam al isa 'stevama ess sNQa to THE MPQQNWAY e TQBLEY -teem EIETTSBUBGEI. BE iN YW a a; e CQ PQBAH Application filed Aug'uSt'Y, 1925. Serial No. 48,893. 7

The invention relates to, car couplers of theM aster Car Builders type, and has for its object tov afford anefliciently operating mechanism consisting of simple and durable parts which may be readily assembled.

a The primary feature ot-theinvention con; sistsiin providing the coupler with a lock lifter which alsoservesto prevent accidental unlocking of the lock, the litter and lock being operatively connected so, as to be capable of sliding and swinging movements with respect to each other, and the lock when moved to unlocked position by thev lifter being adapted under: the influence of gravity to swing over and be supported in unlocked position by the tail of the knuckle, thereby enabling the rotatable knuckle to be subsequently opened.

A further feature. of the invention in-. volves the provision, in combination with a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, and a lock for said knuckle, of a lock lifter provided intermediate its ends with a slot which is inclined to. the direction ofunlocking movement of the lock and which receives a pivot pin carried the lock, the pivotv pin being positioned forward of the center oli gravity of the lock so as to cause the lower end ofthe latter. to swing forwardly toward the tail of the knuckle when the lifter moves the lock'to unlocked position, thereby enabling the lock to be supported in unlocked position on the tail of the knuckle while the latter is closed, and the litterbeing formed with a shoulder or projection for cooperating with the coupler head to preventv the lock from accidentally A still further. feature of the invention consists in movably connecting the lock and its lifter by a pin and slot construction in which the pinis provided with a head and the lock is furnished with means for cooperating therewith to retain the pi n'in its assembled position. i

Other features of the invention, relating to advantageous tor-ms of construction and combinations of elements, will hereinafter appear.

"n 'the drawings illustrating a' preferred embodiment of the invention, .the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims Figure 1 'is-a view, partly in side elevation "and partly vertical section, of a car; coupler embodying. theinvention, the a parts being in normal locked relation Figure 21 is a plan View of a'po rtion of the mechani m s 'ownin F s F gure 1s a detail sectional iew on the l ne; 3-8, Rig, 1;,showi1 g th lo k and its.

lifter, thepivot pin connecting these parts b ng shown in pl igu e 41:. is a V ew, pa t y n fro t lev etion and partly intransverse'vertical seer tiOIl, the parts being in locked relation.-

Figure 5 isa detail view, partly in elevaa on n pa t y in v rti a s ion, sho ng the lock supported n lock set position.

Figure 6 is a detail view corresponding to, 5 but illustrating the look as having performed an extended} unlocking movement for actuating theknu'ckle opener lever.

ur 7 is a line 7+7, Fig. 2.

In. the dfawing's, l is the coupler head and 2 is the knuckle which,,as is customary, is:

rotatablyconnectedto the head by means or a knuckle pin Outward rotation ofthe detail; sectional View onthe knuckle to, uncoupled position isnormally restrained a vertically movahle'g ravity actuatedilock't which, when in locked posi' tion, extends into the path of uncouplingv movement of the tail 5 of the knuckle.

The. lock 4 is, moved to unlocked position by means of a lifter or lock actuating menr her 6,, the upper portion of the lock preferably being cored out to receivesaid lifter. The'lifter 6 and lock it are connected so as t b apa le o e a ive id an r e Or tilting movements. To effect this movahleconnection the. litter 6 may advanta seou' lv be f sh d in er ed t it ends with. a slot 7 which is inclined with respect to the direction of, unlocking movement of the lock l. A pinfi, carried by the "lock, extends throughthe slot 7 of the lifter. This pin located forwardly of the vertical line passing. throughithe centerof; grave ity of the l ck 4, and it therefore results,

as shown inlfig. 5, that the lower end of the lock swings OL tlltS forwardly. toward the tail of knuckle when theliliterHG has- The pie-Wean easier knuckle,

are connected is preferably provided with a head 10 which extends at right angles to the body or pivot portion of the pin. To receive this pin the lock 4 is provided at its upper end 'with a perforated web or wall ll which extends between and is in spaced relation to the side walls of the lock. The lock side wall 12, which is adjacent the is perforated in alinement with the opening in the wall 11 soas to receive the pin 8. The lock side wall 13 adjacent the guard arm of the coupler is provided with a slot 14 which extends upwardly above the pivot pin openings in the walls 11 and 12 of the lock, said slot being of suflicient length to permit the bent end 10 of the pin to pass therethrough. In assembling the mechanism the head 10 of the pin after having been passed through the vertical opening 14 is rotated so that it stands on the inside of and in overlapping relation to the side wall 13 of the lock. The pin 8 is thereby maintained in place.

In addition to acting as a means for moving the lock to unlocked position, the lock lifter 6 serves to prevent the look from accidentally moving to unlocked position while the coupler is in service and also affords means for actuating a pivoted knuckle opener lever 15 by which the knuckle 2 is rotated to uncoupled position. For the purpose ofpreventing the lock from accidentally moving to unlocked position as a result of shocks and jars incident to service the lifter 6 is formed with a forwardly projecting lug orshoulder 16 which, when the lock 4 is in locked position, normally extends under an adjacent portion 17 of the top wall of the coupler head. To enable the shoulder 16 to stand closely beneath the overhanging port-ion 17 of the coupler head, so that accidental unlocking movement of the lock will be arrested after it has progressed but a short distance, the upper face of said lug is preferably inclined being substantially parallel to'the inclined slot 7 of the lifter.

To cause the lug 16 to be forced inwardly with respect to the lock 4 when the latter drops to locked position after having been raised, the underside of the lock 16'is inclined, as at 18, its slope preferably being substantially at right angles to the direction of length of the slot 7 of the lifter.

' In order to actuate the knuckle opener lever 15 the lower end of the lifter 6 is provided with a lug 19 which projects through an opening in the forward face of the lock near the lower end of the latter. The lug or shoulder 16 and the forwardly projecting portion 19 of the lifter 6 are'substantially in the same vertical plane, thus not only resulting in 'a simple form of lifter which may be readily assembled with the lock, but also enabling the-shorter arm of the knuckle opener lever to occupy aposition'in which to a position such a lock forsaid knuckle, a lock lifter,

it serves to guide the movements of the lock 4. I

The knuckle opener lever which swings transversely of the coupler head is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin 20. This pin may be conveniently cast in place in casting'the coupler head 1. The shorter arm 21 of the knuckle opener stands closely adjacent to the forward face of the lock 4 in position to be engaged by the forwardly projecting lower end 19 of the lock lifter when the lock is caused to perform an extended'unlocking movement. The longer arm of the knuckle opener lever is provided with a portion 22 which extends back of the tail 5 of the i lock so as to form a lockset lug 24 adapted to cooperate with a ledge or seat 25 on the knuckle tail 5. The upper portion of the projecting lug 23 normally stands in overlapped relation to the rear end of the knuckle tail, thereby serving to guide the movements of the lock. When the lock 4 is moved to unlocked position by the lifter it tilts with respect to'the latter and the lug 24 at its lower end seat-s upon the lock-set ledge 25 of the knuckle; By this means the lock is supported in unlocked position on the tail of the knuckle while the knuckle 'is closed, thus allowing the knuckle to be subsequently rotated to open position. The lock-set ledge 25 extends for only, a portion of the length of the inner end ofthe knuckle tail 5 and it will be understood that the length of this ledge controls the extent to which the knuckle'may open before the lock is unseated from its lock-set position.

In assembling the coupler the knuckle opener 15 is first placed upon the knuckle opener pivot pin 20. The knuckle 2 may then be brought into assembled relation with the coupler head and secured thereto by the knuckle pin The knuckle is then rotated thatits tail stands under the locking pin opening of the coupler head and the lock 4 is inserted through the opening therefor in the head. The lifter-6 is then assembled with the lock and secured in place by the pivot pin 8,;thus completing the assembly of the mechanism.

1. A car coupler involving a'coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head, and a movably connecting headed pivot pin for 7 said lifter having a said lock and lifter,

shoulder for cooperating with said coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of said lock and having a slot for receiving said pin, said slot extending at an angle to the direction of unlocking movement of said lock, said lock being provided with spaced walls perforated to receive said pin and being provided with a side wall having an opening through which the head of said pin is adapted to pass when in a given position, and the head of said pin when the parts are assembled being disposed inwardly of said side wall and in overlapped relation to the latter.

2. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle, a lock lifter for moving the lock to unlocked position, and a pivotally mounted knuckle opener lever having a portion which overlaps said lock, the lifter and lock being movably connected so as to be capable of relative sliding and tilting move ments, the lifter having a shoulder for cooperating with the coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of the lock, and also having a portion projecting beyond the loci; for engaging and actuating the knuckle opener lever, the lock when moved to unlocked position by said'lifter being adapted to tilt with respect to the latter so as to assume a position in which it is supported in unlocked position while the knuckle is closed, and the shoulder and the projecting portion of the lifter being substantially in the same vertical plane.

A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, and a lock lifter for mov ing the lock to unlocked position, the lifter being formed with a shoulder for cooperating with the coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of the lock, said lifter and lock being movably connected so as to be capable of relative sliding and tilting movements, the look when moved to unlocked position by the lifter being. adapted to tilt to a position in which it is supported in unlocked position'on the tail of the knuckle while the knuckle is closed, and the rear face of the lock being recessed to permit saidtilt ing of the lock when the latter is moved to unlocked position by the lifter.

4.. A car coupler involving a coupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a lock lifter for moving the lock to unlocked position, and a knuckle opener lever rotatably mounted on the con pier head so as to swing transversely with respect to the latter, one arm of the knuckle opener lever overlapping the forward face of the lock and the knuckle engaging portion of the other arm of said lever being offeet forwardly, the lifter and lock being movably connected to permit the lower end of the lock to swing forwardly and be support. I

ed in unlocked position on the tail of the knuckle while the latter is closed, and the i lifter being formed with a portion which projects beyond the forward face of the lock and is adapted to engage and actuate the knuckle. opener lever.

5. A car coupler involving acoupler head, a knuckle rotatably mounted thereon, a lock for the knuckle, a knuckle opener lever piv- 'otally mounted on the coupler head, and

means for operatively connecting the lock and lifter so as to permit them to have'relative sliding and tilting movements, the tail of-said knuckle being providedat its inner end adjacent the lock with a ledge forming a lock set seat, the look when movedito unlocked position by the lifter being adapted to tilt to a position permitting it to seat upon means for cooperating with the coupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of the'lock WILLIAM MCOONVVAY, J12.

said ledge, the lifter being provided with 

